Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Guest Chefs Galore.

We here at Chefs On The Loose really embrace our name. We have created what I like to call a Chefs gallery. Just as an art gallery is a space where artists of all types can display their works for all to see, Chefs On The Loose is a space where Chefs from around the region, nation and yes even the world, can display their works in the form of tasty, tasty menus. We invite Chefs to escape from their restaurants and the same dishes they do week after week to come and express themselves through their creations. Chefs can open their little black books of creative culinary gems and share them with a hungry audience. Simply put, Chefs On The Loose loves Guest Chefs.

So without any further ado I present the Guest Chefs for the month of April and one coming up in June.

On April 22nd we will have Asbel Reyes and Allison Beasman from Sideberns in Tampa to lead a Molecular Gastronomy Hands On Cooking Event. Yes I know, the term molecular gastronomy is frowned upon by those in the culinary know. Typically it means you are some sort of culinary poseur just regurgitating the newest trendiest food gossip. But, to be sure to attract all types of food friends, and those not so in the know, I will call the event by the name most recognized. In its simplest form it is really just food science, or food art, or a combination of the two. It's playing with your food and seeing it, feeling it and tasting it in a new and sometimes unusual way. So its like if Julia Child and Alton Brown had a child and that child grew up and took acid and wrote a cook book on acid, or maybe Salvatore Dali and Julia Child, something like that.

We also have Bobby Triplett, who I like to lovingly call "Jesus Flay", because besides being a great Chef with skills on the grills, he is a local pastor at a Rock and Roll church, and a Film festival promoter and a musician, and I am sure a loving father and husband, Basically he has a super full plate and pretty much kicks ass at life. But, other than that he cooks with a style that invites community and interaction around the stove and around the table. His event called Backyard Bistro is on April 23rd at 6:30. features some treats like; Bad ass fish tacos, Sweet Heat 13 spice St Louis style pork ribs, and marinated grilled portobello's with feta, amongst some other tasty treats. Looking forward to that event for sure.

Another stellar Guest Chef coming to Chefs On The Loose is Jennifer Lee of Celtic Table. This gal rocks. She was trained in Ireland, grew up on an organic farm, makes her own cheeses, butters, and splits her time between her family farm in Galway, Ireland and her home in Tampa. Do I need to say anything else, she is the real deal check her website www.celtictable.com to learn more about her and to see some of her amazing creations. Her event is April 30th at 6:30 and will have a little bonus guest as well. Fiona Prosser founder and owner of Celtic Dream Tours will attend and will share some of her experiences in Ireland . Celtic Bream Tours organizes and leads tours of Ireland, also a amazing gal with some really special stories.

The grand finale of this Guest Chef blog post is Rene Valenzuela of the legendary El Taconazo , known more affectionately as the TacoBus. Rene is one of the most passionate and compelling people I have ever met. He has built a reputation as the Mexican Chef in Tampa. Rene visits Mexico on regular basis to learn and hone his craft. He is a champion of authentic, orthodox, and traditional Mexican Cuisine. At our meeting as we spoke about all the transmutations of Mexican food, he insisted that what he does is an extension of the way it has always been done. The way the old women have done it, he stays away from fusion, or con fusion as he calls it, and instead sticks with what he knows works. Let me tell you Rene knows what works, he has focused only on Mexican cuisine for his whole life, no distractions, no other cuisine to muddle up what he loves to do. That singular focus and genuine passion is not just visible in his manner and persona but more importantly it is oh so apparent in his food. Delicious, simple, and made with only quality products. I am truly excited and honored to have Chef Rene Valenzuela join Chefs On The Loose on June 19th at 7:00pm for a dinner I am sure you will not find anywhere else outside of a friendly family home in Mexico.

Thanks for listening, I will be back soon with more stories from the kitchen and maybe some photos from these events. Hope to see everyone soon.